An unreleased track from 1997 made in Virus Studios in SOHO, London by Optical and Trace. A first experiment with formant filters on a bass sound to make it talk. The full version will be on the 20YearsOfOpticalLP out on Virus in May 2016.

Optical And Trace - 'Switchblade' (20YearsOfOpticalLP) 2 Min Promo

Delving into composition and other things.

Optical is owner of Virus Recordings, Music Producer and DJ from England.
Bookings: UK/ROW: mark@esp-agency.com
USA: saleem@amodeagency.com

This page is dedicated to my sons: Aidan and Solomon, they are the inspiration for everything I do in life now.

"He is best known for his work with Ed Rush, fellow head of the Virus Recordings label, and as a pioneer of the techstep and neurofunk sound. His first single for Metalheadz, 'To Shape the Future'/'Raging Calm' (1997) and his collaborative material with Ed Rush, such as the Wormhole, album (1998) were archetypal developments in the style. The duo followed this debut album with The Creeps (2000) and The Original Doctor Shade (2003), as well as countless singles and remixes. More recently, the duo have returned to form with their (2009) LP 'Travel The Galaxy' containing the modern classic 'Chubrub' and 'No Cure' LP in 2015."

"He also notably did all of the engineering and production work for Grooverider's album Mysteries of Funk, and work on Goldie's 'Saturns Return' LP. In addition, he has produced solo for many labels including Virus, Metalheadz, Prototype, 31 Records, Metro and released in collaboration with many artists, including Ed Rush, Trace, Dom and Roland, Fierce, and his brother Matrix. The first Optical release was in 1996."

"Matt Quinn's savage dance floor productions as Optical (for, among many others, Groove's own label Prototype) have earned him a place in drum'n'bass's premier division.”

"Optical's pure, unchallenged talent shines through on his solo tunes, showcasing an artist well ahead of his time. No doubt the modern sounds of the likes of D-Bridge, Instra:mental and the rest of the minimalist dark revival heads, draw heavy influence not only from Optical himself, but from his inspirations in Jazz, such as Herbie Hancock and Miles Davis. His ability to blend Jazz, Funk and futuristic, technical soundscapes is masterful. From his early work on Metalheadz and Prototype Recordings to his collaborative work on Virus Recordings and the classic Mysteries of Funk (Grooverider's landmark LP), Optical can perhaps qualify as one of the most underrated musicians of the modern era. His mind has crafted sounds which were never before heard, moods which were completely original, and his vision of the future, although ultimately dark and disjointed, is beautifully vivid and addictive. Its a world he pulls you into with each and every track and only a handful of artists can begin to dream of being this successful in their work."

Virus Recordings has become a DnB scene favourite and continues to release the ultimate in DnB vibes, with artists like C4C, Audio, Optiv & BTK, The Upbeats, Noisia, Gridlok, Ram Trilogy, Matrix, Rymetyme, Sonic & Silver, Pendulum, Mefjus,  InsideInfo

Bedroom producer, grew up with 80 90s UK underground music. My music is just me messing around and having fun with samples and synth sounds as a hobby.

Co-founder at TransFrequency Recordings



i make drum n bass

Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Combined Awards                               (English Literature & Publishing)

poetry is the warm feeling in my belly. 

https://missjean6.wordpress.com

I'm not the person you met and I'm sorry you met that person. 

i've got this.



dnb/sci fi (from 90's to now, what happened?)

essential listening:

Dillinja (Silver Blade)
Matrix (Destiny)
Nico No U Turn (Droid)
Skynet & Stakka (9000 Series)
Dom & Roland (Deckers Theme)
Doc Scott (Machines)
Foul Play (Artificial Intelligence) Moving Shadows
Bad Company UK (Colonies)
Ed Rush & Optical (Mystery Machine)
Dave Shichman (The Running Man)
LTJ Buckem (Horizons) and GLR
Dunk & Black Opps (Bang Bang)
Ram Trilogy (Human Future)
A Guy Called Gerald
Metalheadz/Goldie
Adam F (Metropolis)
Johnny L (Piper)
Tech Itch (The Real)
Teebee (Behind The Sun)
Trace/Nico (The Mutant)
Current Value (Cybernetic Future)
Noisia (Stigma)
Photek (Rings Around Saturn)
Audio (Point of No Return)
Roni Size (Destination)
Krust (True Stories)
Die (Clear Skyz)
Cause 4 Concern (Future Shock)
Planet V
Fabio and Grooverider







https://soundcloud.com/transfrequencies-label
https://soundcloud.com/transvalue27
https://soundcloud.com/jazlu
https://soundcloud.com/sephiadnb
https://soundcloud.com/shar-worrell
https://soundcloud.com/neko-26
https://soundcloud.com/deluxe-83
https://soundcloud.com/officialdrumad
https://soundcloud.com/all172things
https://soundcloud.com/talisa_dnb
https://soundcloud.com/drum_pusher_audio_entropy
https://soundcloud.com/mia-sky-395009199
https://soundcloud.com/melinki
https://soundcloud.com/norealitymusic
https://soundcloud.com/catnapaudio
https://soundcloud.com/ame_chaos
https://soundcloud.com/geleeroyal
https://soundcloud.com/chid-aruma
https://soundcloud.com/brian-grimmlin
https://soundcloud.com/durability-dnb
https://soundcloud.com/urphdnb
https://soundcloud.com/rollyax
https://soundcloud.com/cyber_wuruhi
https://soundcloud.com/jane-doe-drum-n-bass
https://soundcloud.com/ninery
https://soundcloud.com/nitro_b
https://soundcloud.com/danny-jenk
https://soundcloud.com/orlan732
https://soundcloud.com/user-475721223
https://soundcloud.com/dj-willsyboy
https://soundcloud.com/diversepressure
https://soundcloud.com/sekhmetdnb
https://soundcloud.com/dnbtonic
https://soundcloud.com/rinor-hajdari
https://soundcloud.com/drophead303
https://soundcloud.com/kodekadnb
https://soundcloud.com/the_shrike
https://soundcloud.com/paramether
https://soundcloud.com/skynetaudio
https://soundcloud.com/goldrumz
https://soundcloud.com/e-leee
https://soundcloud.com/warnodnb
https://soundcloud.com/bankz91
https://soundcloud.com/entradnb
https://soundcloud.com/mastrotitta
https://soundcloud.com/ghostemane
https://soundcloud.com/user-610836157
https://soundcloud.com/dubudnb
https://soundcloud.com/timmi-c
https://soundcloud.com/h20-dnb
https://soundcloud.com/standbyexperience
https://soundcloud.com/bhelixmusic
https://soundcloud.com/shark-boy-31290690
https://soundcloud.com/torzx
https://soundcloud.com/mella_man
https://soundcloud.com/tim-e-aka-current-value
https://soundcloud.com/arleighdnb

entries:


Have you been stealing the attention again? Probably :) Shine bright

way too much for the average person and not a g.
nujungle and future bass dnb & 4/4 808 [909] 505 
from 1992 until 5 minutes ago.  best selection 👌 



The point of early raves was never personal fame or glory for anyone. No single person mattered. It was the system that mattered. And it was the system they fought against. 

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 -I focus on-
oldschool Tekno, Hardtek, Tribe, sometimes drum&bass, little bit acid 303, melancholic / melodic Techno eaven UndergroundTechno. all that with industrial touch

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I started enjoy freepartys 2005. 
Since then I hardly want anything else. its the Tekno family.
The first Tekno artists/systems/labels my brain picked up: 
wako, sp23, ifp, lego, nw23, circus alien, teknambul, 69db, wakuum, mem pamal, heretik, dsp, crystal distortion, metek, teamtrash, matu, fky, msd, okupe, 9mm, banditos, micropoint, turbotek, ben tetrips, x-tech, adam vandal, suburbass, utopeak, desert storm, co2, capsule corp, asystematik, lsdf, infrabass, arobass, foxtanz, aristocrad, hocus-pocus, zone33, alchymist, triphaze, uniko, Acid Anonymous,  jeff23, vinka, hujer maslo, R4G3, labo14....
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.....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWSEIwoSeLI.....
.........short lucky successful scratch demo..........
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............\..............(
..............\.............\... SysteM
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genre: 	Tekno, Free Tekno, Teknival
scene: 	Techno  (born in Detroit)
Tekno - 	early 90s

Hardtechno is the official music genre of rave culture. about raves - real raves 

The raves in the UK in the early 90s were free, renegade, seasonal, and run by ontological anarchists armed with the philosophical weapons of Hakim Bey and Robert Anton Wilson. In the winter months they broke into empty warehouses and occupied them for the night (rave culture loves recessions -- it means more unused urban spaces). In the summer they organized roaming flash mobs to crash police barricades and set up in farmer's fields. They rarely asked permission. What they were doing was illegal so they had to keep moving, and what developed from this radical hedonism was the concept of the mobile soundsystem.

Often situated on the back of flatbed trucks (what the Brits would call lorries) and caravans, the mobile soundsystem became the key to the rave experience. If the rave got busted or shut down by the cops or an angry farmer with a gun, the soundsystem packed up, moved over to the next field, and unloaded the party again. Repeat all night (or week) as necessary or until the drugs wear off. ^^  There were no cell phones or Internet back then so people were kept in the know via pirate radio stations and secret info-lines (ie: recorded messages on telephone answering machines).

These soundsystems had names like the rave promoters of yore -- Spiral Tribe, Bedlam, DiY, Circus Warp, Adrenaline, Rough Crew -- and it was these soundsystems that became famous in their own right. The people would locate where their favorite soundsystem was playing on a given weekend and then track it down like rock groupies. It's probably a weird concept to fanboys of certain DJs or producers (or even labels or promoters, you corporate whore), but the point of early raves was never personal fame or glory for anyone. No single person mattered. It was the system that mattered. And it was the system they fought against.

The organizers and owners of the soundsystems aimed to reclaim public space and occupy them as Pirate Utopias. Being more political-minded and radicalized, they looked nothing like their friendly Acid House forebears: Skinheads wearing jackboots, camo pants and combat fatigues. They had to look scary -- they were the promoters, owners, drug dealers, DJs, and security of their own parties. Just because these are free parties doesn't mean you are free to do anything.

And the music? The music was mostly produced live on the fly, like jam bands at Grateful Dead festivals. It was cheap, simple, disposable, looping thumping Techno music that went on for hours with no break; (today its different cause many analogue homestudios existing) blistering fast with an abrasive industrial edge, squealing 303s, a sample or two, and terrible sound mixing/mastering. This lo-fi grungy filthy Techno was the punk rock of electronic music. It was never called Hard Techno until years later, before Hardcore got its act together.

The free rave scene finally reached critical mass at the infamous Castlemorton festival from May 22-29, 1992. A rave that lasted seven days with an estimated 100,000 people in attendance. All aforementioned soundsystems were there. It was the rave to end all raves, a worse-organized, more anarchic catastrophic Woodstock. And like Woodstock many old Brit DJs and producers today will tell you that they were there when they probably weren't (and if they were, they're not supposed to remember anything anyway). Even still, everyone who went insists that it was wicked.


Castlemorton (allegedly)
The Authorities had had enough. Thirteen members of Spiral Tribe were arrested and after a long show trial the UK government passed the Criminal Justice Act of 1994, outlawing all raves (or what it called "any party that plays music with repetitive beats") and beefing up law enforcement to take the problem seriously.

Essentially the bill singled out and outlawed certain lifestyles -- specifically the "techno traveler" kind. The leftover members of Spiral Tribe and other soundsystems fled the country in voluntary exile, and they are still around today as the Free Tekno scene, a traveling circus that backpacks around Europe throwing free parties or Teknivals.


What a Teknival might look like. That smoke in the distance might possibly be tear gas. Teknivals get raided a lot. You're not a real participant in this scene until your party gets busted by the Police and you have to outrun the dogs.
Back in the UK the rave scene decided if it wanted to survive it had to go legit and comply with the laws. 1994 is a pivotal year: Everything after this year is safe, boring, and club-friendly, making shitty Eurotrance music for grandmothers and 8-year-olds, the edges completely smoothed out of what was not just a vibrant and revolutionary form of music but a lifestyle and culture.

Finding music of the very early free party scene is actually quite tricky because not a lot of it was recorded or pressed to wax (or, that is, not a lot compared to how much was made live in dozens of raves every weekend for years). And what music I do have was released well after the rave scene was crushed. And it's kind of hard to catalogue music that has no name, no label, no artist, no identification. It is Temporary Autonomous Zone music -- it exists only where it is needed, which is at a free rave. Not a music guide.
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TEK TODAY MAYDAY
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know how it works
but don't understand it
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origin unknown
not recognized
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stand for something
don't know for whom
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the genuine underground
never recorded as a copy
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Optical And Trace - 'Switchblade' (20YearsOfOpticalLP) 2 Min Promo

Optical ☣